SCOTT JACOBS

Before we get to an exciting and pivitol weekend of key results, I first want to point out that if Notre Dame gets into a New Year’s bowl game with a 6-6 record, I will never forgive college football.  If the Irish make it into even a decent bowl game after blowing a 23-10 fourth quarter lead against the woeful 3-8 Orangemen, the system is a joke.  After Notre Dame inevitably bows out to a USC team that is good enough to be in the national title picture, but not good enough to control their own destiny in the Pac10, the Irish will be left a .500 team.  That’s what happens when you lose 24-23 to a team that just fired its head coach earlier in the week.  The irony?  Syracuse’s quarterback, Cameron Dantley, the son of one of Notre Dame’s great basketball players, threw an 11 yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left to beat Notre Dame.

As they say in Dodgeball: Ouchtown population you Notre Dame!  (I added in the Notre Dame part)

Okay, got that off my chest, onto the chaotic BCS:

The Nittany Lions eliminated any Big 10 suspense early as they steam-rolled a Michigan State team that didn’t look like they even belonged on the same field.  Penn State led 28-7 at half, and never looked back as they coasted to a 49-18 pasting of number 15 (soon to probably be unranked) Michigan State.  The win locked up the Big 10 title for the Lions, who tied with Ohio State, but won the tiebreaker because of their head to head win earlier in the year. The win also means that Penn State (who is still technically alive for a National Title spot) is going to no-less then the Rose Bowl.  Congratulations to Joe Pa and his team, who clinched Penn State’s third Rose Bowl berth, and first since 1994.  The Lions have won the Big 10 two of the last four years, and could have been in the driver’s seat for one of the two BCS Championship game berths had it not been for that devestating defeat in Iowa.

Their opponent in the Rose Bowl?  Well, it’s starting to look more and more everyday like Oregon State.  The Beavers went into Tuscon and pulled out a nail-biter 19-17 on Justin Kahut’s 24 yard game ending field goal, keeping Oregon State’s improbable Pasadena hopes very much alive.  As amazing as it sounds, the Beavers control their Pac10 destiny, and will secure a berth in the Rose Bowl with a win next week over bitter rival Oregon.  OSU (8-3, 7-1 in the Pac10) hasn’t made the Rose Bowl since wait for it, wait for it… 1965!  So even though USC is shredding up their opponents, and well on their way to a BCS at large bid if they beat Notre Dame, it could be the Beavers who claim a spot usually reserved for mighty USC.  Who would have thought that back in late September, when OSU stunned USC (#1 at the time) that it would propel the then 2-2 Beavers to a 6-1 mark in their next seven.  So OSU knows what it needs to do.  And for once we’re not talking about Ohio State.  But it won’t be easy: the Civil War as its called is always a crazy game, and next week at Corvallis expect no different.

The wild ACC scramble to find a pair of teams who want to play in the conference championship is finally becoming simple (mathematically that is).  First we begin with the Atlantic, where Boston College’s surprising come from behind win on the road against Wake, left it in control of its own ACC destiny.  The Eagles can wrap up a trip to Tampa on December 6th next week with a win against Maryland.  However, should the Eagles lose at home to the Terps, Florida State would win the Atlantic, after it ran over Maryland 37-3.  It’s the first time the Atlantic situation is finally clear.  As for the team that BC/FSU would play: it comes down to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.  This is also simple.  If Virginia Tech beats Virginia, they claim the Coastal.  If they lose, Georgia Tech would win the division.

And JSB’s ACC fun fact of the week: All three ACC teams ranked in the ESPN/AP top 25 poll lost this week.  In fact, the ACC’s three best teams (NOT!) were outscored get this– 119-36!  You do the math– the ACC has to be the most inconsistent conference I’ve ever seen.  You can call it parity.  I call it major mediocrity!  And yet, next week, when its all said and done, it could be FSU-Virginia Tech facing off for the ACC crown, the same two teams who played in the first ACC title game back in 2005.

Florida continued to manhandle its way into the national title picture, as they overwhelmed The Citadel (your school never has a chance when its recognized as “The”) 70-19.  It was the sixth consecutive game that UF’s dynamic offense put 42 points or more on the board, and it was more of a cameo appearance then anything for Tim Tebow who threw for three touchdowns, and then called it a day.  Florida scored a touchdown on its first seven possessions, en route to their 10th win of the season.  Next week UF takes their offensive clinic to Tallahassee for an enormous noon showdown against FSU.  If the Gators can win at Doak, a win in the SEC title game against undefeated Alabama would likely secure them a spot in Miami for the BCS National Championship game. But they’d be wise not to overlook the incredibly inconsistent Noles, who they themselves could be celebrating a spot in their conference’s title game by mid-day.  Needless to say FSU will have a lot of fans in Norman and Austin.

Utah ran away from BYU and into a BCS berth with an impressive 48-24 win in the Holy War.  A Holy win is more like it for Utah, which completed a perfect 12-0 season, and now awaits where they end up.  The Sugar Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl are the two most likely spots for the Utes, who won the Fiesta Bowl in dominant fashion over Pitt in 2005.  The win also eliminates any realistic hopes that Boise State could return to the BCS fold, even if they complete an undefeated season of their own.  Only one non-BCS conference school that is ranked in the top 12 of the BCS is guaranteed a BCS berth, and it’s very unlikely that the BCS would select Boise State, even after their epic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma a few years ago.

And then there’s this…

The forgotten Big East is on the verge of sending Cincinnatti (yes, the Bearcats!) to the Orange Bowl after they clawed their win to a 28-21 victory over Pitt.  The win leaves the 9-2 Bearcats, 5-1 in the Big East a win over Syracuse away from cementing their first Big East championshp since they joined the conference.  One more note: the Bearcats clinched their first consecutive nine win seasons in team history.  Kudos to Cincinatti, but beware of the ‘Cuse.  They’ve got nothing to lose, and a whole heck of a lot to spoil.

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget the Big 12.  Oklahoma’s shocking, stunning, absolutley unbelievable whitewash of previously unbeaten Texas Tech was so impressive we’re still searching for ways to describe it.  In fact, I’m still trying to figure out how high the Sooners should jump after winning by 44 over number two Tech.  I think, and I know the folks in Gainesville or Austin won’t like this, but the Sooners should be number two after their thorough beating.  As for Texas Tech?  Well, goodbye Heisman to Graham Harrell, and hello front runner to Sam Bradford, who threw for 304 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks. The loss marks a stunning fall for the Red Raiders, who were three wins from the national title game.  Now, Tech will not only not get to Miami, they won’t even win the Big 12 South.  Incredibly, they’re actually looking at third place in arguably the greatest division in college football history.  With the loss Tech is probably heading to (no joke) the Holiday Bowl.  Dreams sure can turn into nightmares quickly can’t they Tech?

As for Texas, well this is where things get really complicated.  They beat the Sooners, but how can Oklahoma not be number two after this win?  I know it’s not fair, but the system is flawed, and Oklahoma still has one more test left: a trip to Stillwater.  I know the Cowboys got crushed in their last showdown against a top five power, but that game was on the road.  This one’s in their own backyard.  And if this season has proved anything, it’s that crazy things are prone to happen just when you think you’ve got things figured out.  Am I predicting the upset?  Not quite, but I think this will be a very, very close game.